U.S. Investors Invading the EPL a Good Move

While the English Premier League is the most popular sports league in the world based on the number of global viewers, it ranks a distant fourth on revenue generated. According to The Daily Express, the top three are:

NFL

MLB

NBA

It’s no surprise therefore that more American businessmen are investing in Premiership clubs. With a global TV audience of more than 450 million in more than 152 countries, the opportunity for the EPL to generate more revenue than it currently does is enormous. And the proliferation of broadband technology is only going to generate new revenue streams for clubs and leagues.

I have no doubt that Arsenal will soon be in the hands of Stan Kroenke. As for Manchester City, a takeover deal looks likely to happen in the summer by a mystery American buyer. Beyond those teams, I wouldn’t be surprised if more clubs are approached by U.S. investors.

For soccer fans living in America, it means the awareness of the league will increase in the U.S. And the chances of Premiership clubs visiting the States on friendly tours will increase.

For the Brits, the Premiership clubs need to realize that the Premier League is no longer simply an English league. It’s the number one global sports league thereby attracting investors from some of the wealthiest countries in the world. Arsenal may try to fight back, but I really believe that Peter Hill-Wood’s efforts are futile.

About Christopher Harris

Founder and publisher of World Soccer Talk, Christopher Harris is the managing editor of the site. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Guardian and several other publications. Plus he has made appearances on NPR, BBC World, CBC, BBC Five Live, talkSPORT and beIN SPORT.
Harris, who has lived in Florida since 1984, has supported Swansea City since 1979. He's also an expert on soccer in South Florida, and got engaged during half-time of a MLS game.
Harris launched EPL Talk in 2005, which was rebranded as World Soccer Talk in 2013.
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One Response to U.S. Investors Invading the EPL a Good Move

I would be interested to see where NASCAR and Formula One would rank on this scale. Both include huge crowds, large merchandise sales and revenue generating TV deals in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Both present a better formula for the EPL to follow than MLB or the NBA.